An Affordable Makeover

Because kitchen sinks and faucets long ago evolved from simply functional tools into major kitchen fashion accessories, manufacturers provide seemingly endless component choices. In this example, we selected stylish products that are friendly to do-it-yourselfers seeking a fast kitchen facelift -- a drop-in sink and a top-mount, single-handle faucet.

Other Faucet Styles and Choices

When making your decisions, keep a couple of factors in mind. While most drop-in sinks are available with various numbers of faucet holes, you should know how many holes your faucet requires. Is it a single-handle unit, or does it have separate handles for hot and cold water? Do you want a separate sprayer or soap dispenser?

Even if you do wind up with differing setups, such as the one-hole faucet and three-hole sink we used for our project, you can make it work because faucets typically include a plate called an escutcheon that covers unused holes in the sink.

Be sure to measure the width of the base cabinet in which your sink will be installed. A sink should be 4 inches narrower than the cabinet to allow room for a mounting that doesn't require modifications of the cabinetry.

Faucet Facts